Page 679 - vanity-fair

the Army-list, though they draw near to forty, and yet the
Misses O’Grady are the Misses O’Grady still: Glorvina per-
sisted that but for Lady O’Dowd’s unlucky quarrel with the
Judge’s lady, she would have made a good match at Madras,
where old Mr. Chutney, who was at the head of the civil ser-
vice (and who afterwards married Miss Dolby, a young lady
only thirteen years of age who had just arrived from school
in Europe), was just at the point of proposing to her.
Well, although Lady O’Dowd and Glorvina quarrelled a
great number of times every day, and upon almost every
conceivable subject—indeed, if Mick O’Dowd had not pos-
sessed the temper of an angel two such women constantly
about his ears would have driven him out of his senses—yet
they agreed between themselves on this point, that Glorvi-
na should marry Major Dobbin, and were determined that
the Major should have no rest until the arrangement was
brought about. Undismayed by forty or fifty previous de-
feats, Glorvina laid siege to him. She sang Irish melodies at
him unceasingly. She asked him so frequently and patheti-
cally, Will ye come to the bower? that it is a wonder how
any man of feeling could have resisted the invitation. She
was never tired of inquiring, if Sorrow had his young days
faded, and was ready to listen and weep like Desdemona at
the stories of his dangers and his campaigns. It has been
said that our honest and dear old friend used to perform
on the flute in private; Glorvina insisted upon having du-
ets with him, and Lady O’Dowd would rise and artlessly
quit the room when the young couple were so engaged. Glo-
rvina forced the Major to ride with her of mornings. The

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